BEPORT OF THE ANTHROPOMETRIC COMMITTEE. 



133 



Class I. (Standard). Table X. — Showing the Mean Growth. 



The first part of this table (X.) shows the actual percentage growth 

 in each year under each of the four heads. The second part shows the 

 percentage growth of each year, compared with its immediate predecessor, 

 and thus indicates how far the changes under the several heads are similar 

 and contemporaneous, or otherwise. 



It will be seen in the first part that there i3 a constant, but more or 

 less uneven, growth under each head throughout the whole period, 

 increasing annually up to 16 or 1 7, and then rapidly diminishing. 



The data at 10 are not sufficiently reliable for purposes of comparison, 

 because they represent selected boys, who were nearly 11 years old ; and 

 those above 20 are imperfect in both numbers and variety. For the first 

 reason it may not be safe to compare the percentage growth at 12 with 

 that at 11, which depends upon the data at 10. On the remainder of the 

 table the following observations may be made : 



Between 11 and 14 the rate of growth in height is almost uniform. 

 At 15 it begins to advance more rapidly. At 16 it takes a further advance. 

 But at 17 it falls off by more than one-half, and after that year decreases 

 rapidly. 



The same features are observable in the column of weight, except that 

 the increase in the rate begins a year earlier, viz. at 14. 



■ The growth of chest-girth is uniform up to 13, when it becomes 

 double, and then follows nearly the same course as those of height and 

 weight, except that it continues higher at 17 and 18. 



The growth of strength follows a more capricious course — doubling 

 itself at 13, making no advance at 14, but makiug a great stride at 15 — 

 continuing longer, and diminishing more slowly than the other heads. 

 The number of observations are at present too few to be fully relied on. ^ 



At 14, while the rate of growth in height remains unchanged, there is 

 a large increase in those of weight and chest-girth. 



In the second part of the table it will be seen, by comparing the 

 signs + and — at the ages from 15 to 19, and allowing for the irregu- 

 larity already noticed in the column of strength, the rate of growth in- 



